Play & Fitness

Many of us grew up with the “Presidential Fitness Test” that was designed by President Kennedy to create a higher standard of fitness for American youth. These tests assessed the product of a physically active youth culture that was further refined through frequent physical education classes.

Things are different now.

Currently, our youth have demonstrated a significant decrease in play and movement based leisure time activity. Furthermore, only about 4% of America’s schools have daily PE.

The lack of movement and movement education has left our kids with a physical fitness detriment. Scores on these traditional tests have been on a significant decline over the last 15 years.

The key to keeping children engaged and coming back for more is to make it fun! Set the tone the minute they walk in the door and bring them up to your level of enthusiasm. Continue the workout in the form of games that will address all your fitness goals and teach competition as well as cooperation. In part 2, I will discuss the importance of children taking ownership of their sessions and how it can be achieved through the technique of peer coaching.